the theme in a story: *What is the title? *What are the repeating patterns and symbols? *What allusions are made throughout the story? *What are the details and particulars in the story? *What greater meaning may the events have?
Discovering theme: Theme can be discovered only by becoming aware of the relations among the parts of a story and of the relations of the parts to a whole including:
Characters: What kind of people does the story deal with?
Plot: What do the characters do? Are they in control of their lives, or are they controlled by fate?
Motivation: Why do the characters behave as they do, and what motives dominate them?
Style: How does the author perceive reality?
Tone: What is the author's attitude towards the subject?
Mood:What is the author's feelings toward the subject?
Values: What are the values of the characters in the story? What values does the author seem to promote?
Finding the Theme
Ways to uncover
the theme in a story:
*What is the title?
*What are the repeating patterns and symbols?
*What allusions are made throughout the story?
*What are the details and particulars in the story?
*What greater meaning may the events have?
Discovering theme:
Theme can be discovered only by becoming aware of the relations among the parts of a story and of the relations of the parts to a whole including:
Characters:
What kind of people does the story deal with?
Plot:
What do the characters do? Are they in control of their lives, or are they controlled by fate?
Motivation:
Why do the characters behave as they do, and what motives dominate them?
Style:
How does the author perceive reality?
Tone:
What is the author's attitude towards the subject?
Mood:What is the author's feelings toward the subject?
Values:
What are the values of the characters in the story? What values does the author seem to promote?
adapted from http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/studyskills/compguide/LitAnaTheme.htm
and (“Analyzing Theme.” Literature. What Makes a Story Good. Accessed 23 Oct. 2006. <http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/read/theme2.html>)